Why did the LA Rams pass on this former Jets OL coach?

Things to like about OL coach John Benton

There are many things to point to and appreciate about Coach John Benton. But for starters, let’s dial the time machine back to his familiarity with the Rams, as he was a former OL Coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2003-2005. That was just the start of his NFL offensive line coaching career that has spanned 20 years and included the Rams, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, and finally the New York Jets.

And coach with 20+ years of experience who is available is worth talking to, if for nothing more than just the sheer volume of valuable insights and experiences that are so precious and unique. The LA Rams know that the success of this offense hinges almost entirely on the OL coach, so that amount of experience is worth investigating.

Check out this video clip of John Benton

Dare to check him out yourself? You can click on this link here to view a video of John Benton speaking before the 2022 Senior Bowl, an incredible experience for any positional coach to get first-hand experiences with young prospects and have the chance to sample their coachability, maturity, and a host of intangibles that can matter most to a successful NFL career.

Benton runs an outside zone offensive line, a strategy that the Rams have run in the past with success. But do the Rams want to return to that offense? Perhaps the better question is, do the Rams want to commit to that strategy almost exclusively?

Benton has the perspective and the big-picture philosophy that you would expect to find in a seasoned NFL coach, and that is a good box to check off for the Rams as they sought a good addition to the coaching staff.  In terms of experience, calmness, and matter-of-fact approach to the role, I think that Benton checked the boxes.

But the LA Rams have an entirely another set of parameters that are perhaps a bit unique to their club, qualities of which Benton appeared to fall well short. What might those be? Let’s keep investigating: